Bloomberg heads to Florida on Super Tuesday

TALLAHASSEE — Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg will spend the night of Super Tuesday in Florida, a state that he‘s counting on in his bid for president.

As primary results roll in from other states, the Democratic candidate will host an organizing event in the grand ballroom of the Palm Beach Convention Center in West Palm Beach, just a short drive from Mar-a-Lago.

Bloomberg, a billionaire who entered the Democratic primary late and skipped early voting states, is spending tens of millions of dollars on advertising and staff as part of a concentrated push to win over voters in the third-largest state. Florida’s primary is on March 17.

Polls taken recently in the state — but ahead of his disastrous performance in the Las Vegas debate last week — showed Bloomberg surging in Florida. But an automated survey taken Feb. 25-26 put former Vice President Joe Biden in the lead with 33.8 percent compared with Bloomberg’s 24.9 percent.

“Mike’s support is continuing to grow here in Florida, and we’re excited to have him in the state as the national focus shifts to this critical battleground," said Scott Kosanovich, the campaign’s Florida state director, in a statement.

Bloomberg has staked his candidacy, in part, on his assertion that among Democratic frontrunners, including progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders, only he can defeat President Donald Trump.

Tuesday will be Bloomberg’s third campaign stop in the state since he entered the race. He has opened 14 field offices and hired more than 150 employees. He has also picked up endorsements from several Florida Democrats at a time when some Democrats in this state are expressing concern over Biden’s wobbly campaign.

On Thursday, Bloomberg announced the endorsements of Maria José and Fred Wright, whose son Jerry was shot and killed in the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando in 2016.

The couple, who say they’re moderate Republicans, called Bloomberg a leader on gun safety.

“We have found no other candidate that has the same commitment to stopping this carnage and protecting our children – definitely not in the White House, not in the Republican party and certainly not Bernie Sanders,” Fred Wright said in a written statement released by the campaign.

Biden has said he will win the South Carolina primary on Saturday and stabilize his campaign just ahead of the crucial Super Tuesday primaries.

Voters in 14 states, including California and Texas, will head to the polls Tuesday.

Florida’s primary is toward the end of the primary calendar, which has prompted most Democrats to bypass the state and instead focus on the first four nominating contests.